MARBLES

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does marbles mean? 

• MARBLES (noun)
  The noun MARBLES has 2 senses:

1. a children's game played with little balls made of a hard substance (as glass)

2. the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

  Familiarity information: MARBLES used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MARBLES (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A children's game played with little balls made of a hard substance (as glass)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("marbles" is a kind of...):

child's game (a game enjoyed by children)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

marbles; wits

Context example:

he still had all his marbles and was in full possession of a lively mind

Hypernyms ("marbles" is a kind of...):

intelligence (the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience)

 Context examples 

How often have I seen him, intent upon a match at marbles or pegtop, looking on with a face of unutterable interest, and hardly breathing at the critical times!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)